St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-07-25
SERVED HIM RIGHT.
SheIlenberger, the Child Muir
derer, Lynched by a Mob.

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., July 24.-The
execution of Hoffman. the train wrecker,
on Friday was the incentive to one of
the best executed plans of Judge Lynch
ever perpetrated in this part of the
country. For two days rumOrs have
been rife that an organized mob would
make an attempt to secure Shellen-
berger, the murderer of his little daugh-
ter. On Friday night an attempt was to
have been made to lynch him, but the
sheriff having been forcwarned, the
mob was dispersed by the militia. 1t
was supposed to have been the end of
the matter, and therefore the citizens
were surprised when it was learned this
morning that the vigilantS had secured
an entrance into. the jail last night and
hung Shellenberger. An eye witness
says the mob approached the court
house about 2:30 a. M, nOlSeleSSly,
masked and well armed. The guards,
being taken completely by surprise,
were easily oYerpOWered. An
effort to break in the heavy
iron doors of the corridors was
fruitless. and the sheriff's Office, which
is directly over the prisoners cell, was
entered and an opening about 3x6 feet
was made in the floor, through which
DdIG VI IllC IlOU lllC Ill
which the condemned man was con-
fined. The door was broken open and
the prisoner dragged out in the court
yard, and rope was fastened around
his neck. He declared his innocence of
the crime of which he was charged and
convicted, and requested his body to be
buried on the old homestead till he was
proven innocent. Then he asked to be
removed to the side of his dead father
and buried like other people. He never
broke down, and remained nervy to the
last. He was strung up, dying with
A CURSE ON HIS LIPS,
as he said: 'I'll haunt you ---
-i if can" The mob, which was
composed chiefly of German farmers
from the vicinity of the murderer's
home, then dispersed. They left, sing
ing loudly German song. At one time
a ayell was raised to lynch the prisoners
lawyers also, which was agreed to by
large number of the mob, but wiser
counsel prevailed. The crime for
which Shellenberger was lynched was
one of the most atrOciOuS and
blackest in the history of the state.
The victim was Maggie Shellenberger,
a bright child, eleven years of age.
April 21, 1856, Shellenberger came to
town and informed the coroner and
sheriff that little Maggie had committed
suicide. She was found at the bottom
of the cellar steps with two frightfnl
cuts across her throat, one almost sever
ing the neck from the body. Shellen-
berger and his wife, step-mother to
Maggie, were arrested on suspicion,
and at their trial he was convicted of
the murder and sentenced to hang, but
secured another hearing in the supreme
court and his execution was put off in
definitely. The woman secured
change of venue to Lancaster county
and had her trial at Lincoln several
months ago, but the jury failed to agree.
There had been several former attempts
made to lynch Shellenberger, but they
were not successful. He is also cred
tied with several other murders, of one
of which he is very likely guilty. 1t
was the murder of an Englishman
named Leonard several years ago on
the river bank, which has always re-
manned mystery, but suspicion always
pointed strongly to Shellenberger,
though it could never be proven.